Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp: A History of Art in Nature

In 1914, Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield envisioned a secluded institution nestled in the mountains, where art and nature could intersect. By the 1920s, their remote Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp in Steamboat Springs was serving as a hub for top dancers such as José Limon and Harriette Ann Gray to hone their craft. In addition to training thousands of pointed toes and arched feet, the school showcased equestrian jumping and performed plays by masters, including Shakespeare, García Lorca and Tennessee Williams. The theater program eventually attracted budding actors like Julie Harris, Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Biel. Author Dagny McKinley presents the story of America's longest continuously running performing arts camp.

Dagny McKinley has an MFA from Naropa University and a BA from the University of Western Ontario. She has lived in Steamboat Springs for twelve years, where her writings and research have focused on local histories as well as fiction set in nature. The inspiration for this book began when McKinley saw an image of Portia Mansfield and Charlotte Perry dancing. The women appeared to be filled with such joy she felt pulled to find out more about them. Four years and hundreds of pages of research later, this book was written.